Bio-powered locator device

ABSTRACT

A locator assembly is provided. The locator assembly includes an article of wear and a location sending device embedded in the article of wear. A bio-related electric generator is connected to the location sending device for providing power for the location sending device. A system for locating a person and a locating method are also provided.

BACKGROUND

There exist a number of different methods capable of tracking andlocating individuals, for example using cellular phones, which operateby switching cell towers as an individual moves. By triangulating celltowers, the position of an individual can be determined with a highdegree of accuracy. More accurate locations can be obtained by usingGlobal Positioning System GPS tracking. A modern GPS tracking device cantrack a person, a vehicle, or another moving object and, when needed,determine the position of the device with high accuracy.

While modern tracking devices are small, low cost, and accurate, theyare not used to the full extent of their capabilities. For example,there are a number of groups of people whose location may be veryimportant, but who are not fully capable of fulfilling theresponsibilities of carrying and using location tracking devices. Forexample, small or forgetful children, the autistic, mentally orphysically challenged individuals, the elderly, the emotionallydisturbed, those under heavy medication, those with Alzheimer's andother forms of dementia, and those that for other reason cannot berelied upon to carry location tracking devices. Further, it would alsobe desirable to predict the activity in which an individual is engaged.

SUMMARY

This Summary introduces simplified concepts that are further describedbelow in the Detailed Description of Illustrative Embodiments. ThisSummary is not intended to identify key features or essential featuresof the claimed subject matter and is not intended to be used to limitthe scope of the claimed subject matter.

A locator assembly is provided. The locator assembly includes an articleof wear and a location sending device embedded in the article of wear. Abio-related electric generator is connected to the location sendingdevice for providing power for the location sending device.

The locator assembly can be a battery powered locator assembly forlocating a person. The assembly can include a location sending deviceembedded in an article of wear wherein the battery is recharged by abio-related electric generator. The locator assembly can automaticallytransmit the location of the wearer when the wearer is outside of anallowed area, or upon reception of a location request from anotherperson. In addition, the locator assembly can transmit accelerometerinformation to enable insight into what is being done at the location.

The location sending device can incorporate GPS and cell technology. Thebio-related electric generator can include a bio-mechanical electricgenerator, a bio-chemical electric generator, or other type ofwear-related electric source. The article of wear can include a shoe, anunderwear waistband, a piece of jewelry such as a necklace, or otherarticle of wear. The locator assembly can automatically send outlocation information such as when the wearer is outside of an allowedarea, or responsive to a location request from another party.

Further provided is a system for locating a person including an articleof wear, a computerized location sending device embedded in the articleof wear, at least one battery for powering the location sending device,and a bio-related electric generator for recharging the at least onebattery. The system further includes a service operator in communicationwith the location sending device and a location requesting device incommunication with the service operator. When the location requestingdevice contacts the service operator, the service operator obtains thelocation of the location sending device and sends that location to thelocation requesting device. The location sending device can include anaccelerometer, in which case motion information can also be transmittedto the location requesting device.

In one example, the article of wear is a shoe, and the location sendingdevice is a GPS equipped cellular communication device. A bio-mechanicalelectric generator and at least one battery are embedded in the shoe.The system can include a battery charger disposed between the at leastone battery and the bio-mechanical electric generator, and the serviceoperator provides cellular communications over a plurality of basestations (e.g. cell phone towers).

A method of locating an individual is provided including embedding acomputerized location sending device having at least one battery and abio-related electric generator in an article of wear, and enabling auser to wear the article of wear. The at least one battery is rechargedby the bio-related electric generator, and the location of the user issent using the location sending device. In one example method thelocation is sent automatically when a user is outside of an allowedarea. In another example method the location is sent responsive toreceipt of a location request from a location requesting device.

A location sending device is provided which includes an accelerometerthat senses the motion of a wearer of the location sending device. Suchmotion information enables for example a determination that the weareris walking, standing still, or riding in a vehicle.

A user data acquisition assembly is provided including an article ofwear, a user data sending device comprising at least one of a locationdetermining device and an acceleration determining device embedded inthe article of wear, and a bio-related electric generator connected tothe user data sending device for providing power for the user datasending device.

A system for determining a user motion state is provided. The systemincludes a user data acquisition assembly including an article of wear,a user data sending device comprising an acceleration determining deviceembedded in the article of wear, at least one battery connected to theuser data sending device for powering the user data sending device, anda bio-related electric generator connected to the at least one batteryfor recharging the at least one battery. The system further includes aservice operator in communication with the user data sending device anda user data requesting device in communication with the serviceoperator. The service operator is configured to obtain user data fromthe user data sending device and provides the user data to the user datarequesting device.

A method of determining and sending a user motion state is provided. Themethod includes providing a data acquisition device comprising a userdata sending device including an acceleration determining device, and abio-related electric generator connected to the user data sendingdevice. The data acquisition device is embedded in an article of wear. Auser is enabled to wear the article of wear. A classifier is used todetermine a user motion state of a user wearing the article of wearbased on the data from the acceleration determining device, and the usermotion state is sent out via a network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description,given by way of example with the accompanying drawings. The Figures inthe drawings and the detailed description are examples. The Figures andthe detailed description are not to be considered limiting and otherexamples are possible. Like reference numerals in the Figures indicatelike elements wherein:

FIG. 1 is a depiction of a prototypical context in which one or moredisclosed embodiments may be implemented;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a shoe;

FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of the shoe of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 depicts a locator assembly and its article of wear;

FIG. 5 is diagram showing a method of locating an individual using alocator assembly; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a location sending device embedded in a necklace.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a method of determining and sending a usermotion state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT(S)

Embodiments are described below with reference to the drawing figures inwhich like numerals represent like elements throughout.

Additionally, the terms “a” and “an” as used herein do not denote alimitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least oneof the referenced items.

What follows are descriptions of locator assemblies having embeddedlocation tracking devices incorporating bio-related electric generationto charge one or more batteries that power the locator assemblies. Thelocator assemblies can include acceleration determination devices (e.g.accelerometers) and motion classifiers used to classify accelerationand/or location data to determine a user motion state. Such locatorassemblies are useful for tracking persons. Bio-related electricgeneration can be enabled by bio-mechanical electric generators,bio-chemical electric generators, and any other type of electricgenerator powered by the motion, chemical composition, or thermalgeneration of living organisms. In one exemplary application, acaretaker needs to determine the location of a mentally challengedindividual. The caretaker embeds a location tracking device in thatindividual's underwear waistband. When the caretaker needs to locate thementally challenged individual, the caretaker sends a location requestto determine the location of the mentally challenged individual from arequesting device, such as a computer or a cell phone, to a locatorsystem. The locator system forwards the location request to the locationtracking device. The location tracking device determines its locationand sends that location back to the locator system which then forwardsit to the caretaker. A bio-related electric generator, which may operateby converting body sugars to electricity, by bio-mechanical motion, orby other bio-related technology, keeps a battery charged which powersthe device.

In another exemplary application, the foregoing caretaker places anecklace including an embedded location tracking device around the neckof the individual.

In another exemplary application a parent establishes a “geofence”around an area in which a child is permitted, a geofence being theborder of a geographical area that the child is allowed to roam in. Theparent requests automatic notification when the child passes through thegeofence. A typical geofence might be for example 200 feet from theparent, 25 yards from a house, or other definable geographic area. Aparent has obtained a locator assembly including shoes, or one shoe,that include a location tracking device. When the child wears the shoesand walks, runs, or plays, his bio-mechanical action charges a batterythat powers the locator assembly and its location tracking device. Thelocator assembly tracks the child, determines when that child is outsideof the geofence, and automatically signals the parent via a cell phoneor other communication device that the child is outside of the geofence.

In another exemplary application, a caretaker monitors a state of motionof a user (“user motion state”) who wears a user data acquisitionassembly in the form of an article of wear. Using a motion classifier,acceleration data from the data acquisition assembly is used todetermine the user motion state. The monitored user may be classified aswalking, immobile, having fallen, in a motor vehicle or otherdeterminable user motion state. This can be useful for example todetermine if a child has been inappropriately picked up in a motorvehicle. Location data can be compared or combined with the motionclassification to determine the appropriateness of a determined usermotion state at a particular location. For example, a determination thatthe monitored user is both not mobile and located in a vehicle parkingarea can trigger an alert to the caretaker based on the logic that beingimmobile in a vehicle parking lot may be indicative of an emergencysituation.

FIG. 1 depicts a prototypical context 100 in which one or more disclosedembodiments may be implemented. As shown, the context 100 includes alocator user 102 with a location requesting device, which in context 100is a cell phone 104. The cell phone 104 is in cellular communicationswith a base station 106 (e.g. cell phone tower) that is part of alocation system, which in the context 100 is a cellular service operator108. The context 100 further includes a tracked person 112. The trackedperson 112 is wearing a locator assembly, which in context 100 takes theform of a shoe 200. The shoe 200 includes a battery powered,computerized, GPS enabled, accelerometer augmented, embedded locationtracking device. The embedded location tracking device further includesa bio-related electric generator which in the context 100 takes the formof a bio-mechanical electric generator described in more detail belowwith reference to FIG. 2. The shoe 200 is in cellular communicationswith a base station 110 enabled by the cellular service operator 108.

Cellular service operators 108 provide communication services and arange of other services to their users. In particular, the cellularservice operator 108 supports GPS location finding as well as thecapability of handling other forms of data, such as motion informationfrom an accelerometer.

FIG. 2 illustrates the locator assembly shoe 200 in more detail. Thelocator assembly shoe 200 includes a plurality of batteries 202 thatpower a computerized, GPS equipped, accelerometer augmented cellularcommunication device (“GPS equipped cell device”) 204 that is configuredto automatically respond with the current location from the GPS systemand with the current motion information from the accelerometer when anincoming call or data transmission request is received. The GPS equippedcell device 204 is in communication with the base station 110. SeeFIG. 1. Application software for controlling the GPS equipped celldevice 204 to send location and accelerometer information is readilyavailable. Furthermore, specialized applications needed to optimize theGPS equipped cell device 204 are readily developed using widelyavailable software and mobile application development systems.

A problem addressed herein is providing long term operating power forthe GPS equipped cell device 204 by automatically recharging thebatteries 202. Battery recharging is accomplished using a bio-mechanicalelectric generator 210 that is embedded in the locator assembly shoe200. The bio-mechanical electric generator 210 generates electricalpower when the tracked person 112 walks, runs, or performs other motion.Other types of bio-related electric generators can be used in place ofthe bio-mechanical electric generator 210, for example a chemicalelectric generator that operates by converting a user's body sugars toelectricity, or a thermally activated electric generator that operatesfrom a user's body's heat differentials.

FIG. 3 provides a schematic depiction of the electrical components ofthe locator assembly shoe 200. The bio-mechanical electric generator 210applies its energy into a battery charger 306 located within the GPSequipped cell device 204. The battery charger 306 regulates and smoothesthe relatively pulsed and/or choppy output from the bio-mechanicalelectric generator 210. The output of the battery charger 306 is shownpassing through an isolation diode 308 which isolates the batterycharger 306 and bio-mechanical electric generator 210 from the rest ofthe system. Depending on the battery charger 306, an isolation diode 308will not be required as the battery charger 306 output may implementisolation.

The regulated output from the battery charger 306 is applied to thebatteries 202. The regulated output charges the batteries 202 as theuser 112 moves. The batteries 202 provide operating power to the GPSequipped cell device 204, specifically including aGPS/accelerometer/cell transceiver 302. The GPS/accelerometer/celltransceiver 302 receives and sends signals via an antenna 304.

A classifier 310 can access acceleration data from an accelerometer ofthe GPS/accelerometer/cell transceiver 302 to determine a user motionstate. The classifier 310 is powered by the batteries 202. The usermotion state can include a determination that the user is walking, is ina moving vehicle, is immobile, or has fallen. The classifier 310 canfurther receive location information from the GPS of theGPS/accelerometer/cell transceiver 302 for use in determining the usermotion state or use in determining whether an alert is sent out by theGPS/accelerometer/cell transceiver 302. For example a user's location isimportant for determining whether the user's immobility is indicative ofan emergency situation. The classifier can alternatively be providedremotely, for example provided by the service operator 108 or otherremote network accessible system.

The foregoing has described a locator assembly shoe 200 having a GPS andaccelerometer equipped cell device that operates on batteries that arerecharged by a bio-mechanical electric generator. In other embodiments,other types of location sensing devices, such as RFID-triangulationsystems can be used instead of GPS equipped cell devices. Furthermore,an accelerometer is not required. In an alternative embodiment, anaccelerometer and motion classifier is present, and a GPS or otherlocation determining device is not present.

While the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 is described as sendingout location and motion information upon request, for example a requestfrom a caretaker. Alternatively, the location tracking deviceautomatically sends out the location and/or motion information when theuser/wearer is outside of an allowed area or responsive to othertransition determined from collected location data or acceleration data.

The user motion state can be sent out by the GPS equipped cell device204 if the user motion state is determined by the classifier 310. Usermotion state can be sent out responsive to a request from a caretaker orother party or responsive to a transition to a new user motion statefrom a prior in time user motion state. If the user motion state isdetermined by the service operator 108 or other network accessiblesystem, the GPS equipped cell device 204 sends out acceleration data,and location data if necessary, to such system to enable determinationof the user motion state.

The location tracking device is not limited to use with shoes. Thelocation tracking device can be used with a wide range of articles ofwear, including pants, shirts, shoes, underwear, bras, socks, panties,blouses, skirts, sweaters, jackets, coats, hats, dresses, helmets, andblazers. For example, FIG. 4 illustrates a locator assembly 400 in theform of underwear 402 having an embedded locator device that includes aGPS/accelerometer/cell transceiver 408, a battery 406 for powering theGPS/accelerometer/cell transceiver 408, and a bio-related electricgenerator 404 for recharging the battery 406. The bio-related electricgenerators can include for example a bio-mechanical electric generator,a chemical electric generator that operates by converting a user's bodysugars to electricity, or a thermally activated electric generator thatoperates from a user's body's heat differentials. In another embodimentthe location tracking device can be surgically implanted in the body ofa user.

Articles of wear should be understood as including things other thanclothing. FIG. 6 illustrates a locator assembly 600 in the form of anecklace 602 having a locator device that includes aGPS/accelerometer/cell transceiver 606, a battery 608 for powering theGPS/accelerometer/cell transceiver 606, and a bio-related electricgenerator 604 for recharging the battery 606. Other articles of wearsuch as watches can also incorporate such locator device, particularlywhen the watches include bio-related generators driven by self-windingwatch mechanisms.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method 500 of locating an individual. The method500 includes a step 502 of providing a locator device that includes alocation sending device, for example the GPS/accelerometer/celltransceiver 408 shown in FIG. 4, at least one battery, for example thebattery 406, that is connected to the location sending device and thatsupplies operating power, and a bio-related electric generator, forexample the bio-related electric generator 404, that is connected to theat least one battery and is used for recharging the battery.

The method 500 further includes embedding the locator device in anarticle of wear (step 504), enabling a user to wear the article of wear(step 506), and receiving location information from the location sendingdevice via a cellular network (step 508). The method can further includereceiving motion information such as acceleration information from anaccelerometer of the locator device.

FIG. 7 illustrates a method 700 of determining and sending a user motionstate. The method 700 includes providing a data acquisition devicecomprising a user data sending device including an accelerationdetermining device, and a bio-related electric generator connected tothe user data sending device (step 702). The data acquisition device isembedded in an article of wear (step 704). The user is enabled to wearthe article of wear (step 706). A classifier is used to determine a usermotion state of a user wearing the article of wear based on the datafrom the acceleration determining device (step 708), and the user motionstate is sent out via a network (step 710).

Although features and elements are described above in particularcombinations, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that eachfeature or element can be used alone or in any combination with theother features and elements. Methods described herein may be implementedin a computer program, software, or firmware incorporated in acomputer-readable medium for execution by a computer or processor.

While embodiments have been described in detail above, these embodimentsare non-limiting and should be considered as merely exemplary.Modifications and extensions may be developed, and all suchmodifications are deemed to be within the scope defined by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A locator assembly comprising: an article ofwear; a computerized location sending device embedded in the article ofwear, the computerized location sending device including a communicationsystem for sending data, a GPS system for providing location informationto the communication system, and an accelerometer for providing motioninformation to the communication system, the computerized locationsending device configured to communicate with a service operator incommunication with a user data requesting device, wherein the serviceoperator is configured to: obtain user data from the user data sendingdevice; determine a user motion state of a user wearing the article ofwear based on the data from the accelerometer, wherein determining theuser motion state comprises determining a transition from a prior usermotion state; and provide the user data to the user data requestingdevice in the form of an alert responsive to the transition from theprior user motion state; at least one battery connected to thecomputerized location sending device for powering the location sendingdevice; and a bio-related electric generator connected to the at leastone battery for recharging the at least one battery.
 2. The locatorassembly of claim 1, wherein the bio-related electric generator is abio-mechanical electrical generator.
 3. The locator assembly of claim 1,wherein the article of wear comprises an elastic band, and the locationsending device, the at least one battery, and the bio-related electricgenerator are embedded in the elastic band.
 4. The locator assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the location sending device sends out locationinformation and motion related information.
 5. The locator assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the location sending device is embedded inan article of wear comprising at least one of a pair of pants, a shirt,a shoe, and underwear.
 6. A user data acquisition assembly comprising:an article of wear; a user data sending device comprising a locationdetermining device and an accelerometer embedded in the article of wear,the user data sending device configured to transmit location data andacceleration data via a network, the user data sending device configuredto communicate with a service operator in communication with a user datarequesting device, wherein the service operator is configured to: obtainuser data from the user data sending device; determine a user motionstate of a user wearing the article of wear based on the data from theaccelerometer, wherein determining the user motion state comprisesdetermining a transition from a prior user motion state; and provide theuser data to the user data requesting device in the form of an alertresponsive to the transition from the prior user motion state; and abio-related electric generator connected to the user data sending devicefor providing power for the user data sending device.
 7. The user dataacquisition assembly of claim 6, wherein the user data sending devicecomprises a classifier configured for accessing data from theaccelerometer, wherein the classifier is configured to determine a usermotion state of a user wearing the article of wear based on the datafrom the accelerometer.
 8. The user data acquisition assembly of claim7, wherein the classifier is configured to determine a user motion statecomprising a determination of at least one of that the user is walking,is in a moving vehicle, is immobile, and has fallen.
 9. The user dataacquisition assembly of claim 6, wherein the user data sending devicecomprises a classifier configured for accessing data from the locationdetermining device and the accelerometer, wherein the classifier isconfigured to determine a user motion state of a user wearing thearticle of wear based on the data from the location determining deviceand the accelerometer, and the user data sending device is configured totransmit the user motion state.
 10. The user data acquisition assemblyof claim 6, wherein the location determining device comprises a GPSdevice.
 11. A system for determining a user motion state, comprising: auser data acquisition assembly comprising: an article of wear; a userdata sending device comprising an accelerometer embedded in the articleof wear; at least one battery connected to the user data sending devicefor powering the user data sending device; and a bio-related electricgenerator connected to the at least one battery for recharging the atleast one battery; a service operator in communication with the userdata sending device and in communication with a user data requestingdevice; wherein the service operator is configured to: obtain user datafrom the user data sending device; determine a user motion state of auser wearing the article of wear based on the data from theaccelerometer, wherein determining the user motion state comprisesdetermining a transition from a prior user motion state; and provide theuser data to the user data requesting device in the form of an alertresponsive to the transition from the prior user motion state.
 12. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein at least one of the user data sending deviceand the service operator comprises a classifier configured for accessingdata from the accelerometer, wherein the classifier is configured todetermine a user motion state of a user wearing the article of wearbased on the data from the accelerometer, and the service operator isconfigured to transmit the user motion state to the user data requestingdevice.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user data sending devicefurther comprises a location determining device, wherein at least one ofthe user data sending device and the service operator comprises aclassifier configured for accessing data from at least one of thelocation determining device and the accelerometer, wherein theclassifier is configured to determine a user motion state of a userwearing the article of wear based on at least one of the data from thelocation determining device and the data from the accelerometer, and theservice operator is configured to transmit the user motion state to theuser data requesting device.
 14. A method of determining and sending auser motion state comprising: providing a data acquisition devicecomprising a user data sending device, including an accelerometer and aGPS system, and a bio-related electric generator connected to the userdata sending device; embedding the data acquisition device in an articleof wear; enabling a first user to wear the article of wear; using aclassifier to determine a user motion state of a user wearing thearticle of wear based on the data from the accelerometer and locationdata from the GPS system, wherein determining the user motion statecomprises determining a transition from a prior user motion state; andsending out the user motion state via a network as an alert for a seconduser, wherein the user motion state is sent out responsive to thetransition from the prior user motion state; wherein: it is determinedthat the user is located in an area reserved for automobiles;determining the transition from the prior user motion state comprisesdetermining that the first user is immobile; and the alert comprises anindication that the first user is immobile in an area reserved for motorvehicles.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user motion state issent out responsive to a request for the user motion state from anotherdevice corresponding to the second user.
 16. The method of claim 14,wherein: determining the transition from the prior user motion statecomprises determining that the first user is riding in a motor vehicle;and the alert comprises an indication that the first user has beenpicked up in a motor vehicle.